The White Nights Season in St. Petersburg

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

St. Petersburg is one of the most popular cities in the world for tourists. It is a city with a great cultural and historical heritage, rich in museums and palaces. But the city is famous not only for its sights and architectural ensembles: in the minds of many, St. Petersburg is associated with a unique phenomenon - white nights.

This is one of the symbols of the city, which is widely reflected in art. What are white nights, why do they occur in St. Petersburg, when they begin and when they end in 2018 - consider these questions.

Many tourists choose this period for a trip to the city - the white nights, when the Northern capital shines in all its extraordinary beauty. The most frequent question that worries tourists who are going to come to the city to see the white nights with their own eyes is in what period do they take place in St. Petersburg, when exactly they begin in 2018.

The reason for the phenomenon

Despite such a poetic name, this phenomenon has a completely understandable scientific explanation. In the ordinary view, white nights are a period when no night falls after sunset, that is, complete darkness. Scientifically speaking, during this period the solar disk sinks just 6 degrees below the horizon, which is why the usual night does not come.

This phenomenon is typical for cities that are located near the Arctic Circle. It is noteworthy that geographically St. Petersburg does not belong to such cities, since it does not fall into this zone. But, nevertheless, White Nights can be called one of the "attractions" of the city.

Why do white nights occur in St. Petersburg at a certain period, if it does not fall into the zone for which it is typical, and when the white nights begin in 2018?

The fact is that in science there is a definition not of "white nights", but "civil" and "navigational" twilight. The first refers to the period when the sun sinks 6 degrees below the horizon, due to which the sky does not darken and night does not come. Navigational - when the disc drops at least 12 degrees, and it is within these frames that St. Petersburg fits. For comparison, the duration of civil twilight in Moscow is no more than one hour.

Thus, the white nights in St. Petersburg is a period when the sun's disk does not descend so much beyond the horizon for darkness to come. And formally, what we see is not night or day, but twilight.

When do the white nights begin in 2018? From an astronomical point of view, this is the period from June 11 to July 2. In practice, the nights become bright from May 25, and this period lasts until July 15.

What awaits tourists this season

The White Nights season is a period when twilight, which replaces night, allows you to walk through the streets of St. Petersburg until morning and take photos without using a flash. That is why the largest influx of tourists falls on this time. This should be taken into account when planning a trip: it is advisable to take care of the places in the hotels in advance, as it can be difficult to find free places during the peak season.

This is especially true at the end of June - the very height of the season, when there are practically no vacant rooms.

During this period, the city hosts many cultural and recreational activities. These are all kinds of excursions to the historical places of the city. Enjoy the beauty of the white nights of the city will allow excursions on a steamer, during which you can admire drawbridges ranging from small bridges connecting canals to huge bridges, as well as all the unique attractions that this city-museum is famous for: majestic palaces, monuments, architectural ensembles, cobbled squares, illuminated by hundreds of flickering lights.

Also, guests and residents of the city are waiting for the St. George Festival. Many premieres, as well as the best productions of the Mariinsky Theater and other theatrical stages of St. Petersburg await you.

It is impossible not to mention the "Scarlet Sails". This is a colorful holiday that has become one of the hallmarks of St. Petersburg. The program includes concerts, as well as a light show accompanied by a real schooner with scarlet sails, gliding along the waves of the Neva.

White Nights, as we managed to make sure, is one of the best and richest periods for festive events in St. Petersburg. This period accounts for the largest number of celebrations, festivals, concerts. We found out when the white nights begin in 2018, so it will be easier for you to plan your program of visiting the city on the Neva. Petersburg is beautiful at any time, but it is during this period that you can feel the special atmosphere of this city-museum!